The New Baby
by thewizardanthedragon
Summary: Lucas isn't sure what to think of his new little brother. AU with fictious child of Abby and McGee as main character
1. Chapter 1

Lucas James Garret McGee stood quietly on the threshold between the kitchen and living room. He had been standing there for quite some time watching as all the adults in life stood around oh'ing and ah'ing over his new baby brother. He hadn't decided yet if he liked the squirming mass that his parents had brought home from the hospital. His gaze and attention was so highly focused on the happenings of the living room. Luc didn't notice his Uncle Tony enter from the kitchen door and so he jumped slightly when Tony gently squeezed his shoulder.

Talking quietly so as not to disrupt the group Tony said "It's just me squirt" before he started towards the small crowd. As he stepped around the small boy, Luc said under his breath "Of course you're goin' in there with the rest of them." Tony didn't have the same 'touch' that Gibbs did with kids but he and Lucas had been good buddies since Luc had learned to walk. Hearing the disappointment in the kid's voice Tony stopped and turned towards the boy.

"What's up squirt?" Tony asked kneeling down so he was face to face.

Twisting his lips side to side Luc didn't say a word but looked to the baby being passed from person to person and then down at the floor before looking up at his uncle. He didn't need to say anything for Tony to understand how he was feeling.

"You feeling a little left out eh squirt" Tony said ruffling the young boy's hair "Things will calm down soon".

"How do you know?" Lucas asked somewhat sarcastically "You don't have a baby brother."

"No… I don't have a baby brother but… I do have years and years of interpreting situations… so I'm sure this will blow over soon." Tony tried to sound reassuring. Standing Tony leaned down to whisper in the boy's ear before joining the group. A wide grin crossed Luc's face as he processed Tony's words.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziva had brought a full multi course dinner for everyone to share while visiting the new baby. After taking her turn to snuggle the little bundle she headed to the kitchen to get everything ready almost running Lucas over in the process as he was still standing in the opening between the two rooms. "You want to help me make some supper?" Ziva asked as she headed towards the sink to wash her hands.

"Sure" he said sounding somewhat dejected.

Ziva ignored the attitude and smiled lovingly. "Come on my little friend let us make some food" she said using her eyes and head to signal where she wanted her young chef to stand. Food prep went well and passed quietly, Lucas occasionally turning to look out at the crew in the living room. When he seemed to be doing more staring than preparing Ziva would gently elbow him to bring his attention back to the task at hand giving him a smile and once she even kissed the top of his head.

Lucas was very small for his age both in height and weight and had always been self conscience about it. He was headed into grade one in September but resembled a kindergartener and so needed to stand on a stool to easily reach the counter. So when Tony came into the kitchen having had his turn to oogle the new addition to the McGee family and mentioned he thought Lucas had grown a lot since the last time he'd seen him, Lucas snapped at him.

Ziva stared at Tony suggesting with her gaze that he knock it off. Tony straightened before approaching the cooks and applying a good dose of tickles on the smaller of the two. Luc tried hard to stay mad and not laugh but he wasn't ever able to when his Uncle Tony was involved.

The family all sat around the kitchen table, squished together as the McGee table wasn't really built for that many people. Everyone was laughing and visiting and didn't notice when the youngest and smallest member excused himself from the table and head to the living room where the basinet with the sleeping baby lay.

Very gently and very carefully Lucas unwrapped the sleeping bundle and took the small blanket and pulled the pacifier for good measure. The baby wiggled and began to make tiny noises. Lucas moved quickly stuffing the stolen items under the sofa cushion. Then like a ghost he floated noiselessly to his room quickly busying himself with his lego set listening for the inevitable wail that would soon come.


	3. Chapter 3

Abby stood instantly when the baby's cries became more than just a whimper. When she got to the bassinet she was confused to find little Samuel Thomas rolled onto his side having lost both his blanket and soother. Picking the tiny infant up she headed towards the kitchen when she saw a flap of blue hanging out of the sofa. Lifting the cushion revealed the missing items and she let the cushion fall as she reentered the dining area. Leaning down beside Tim she whispered something to him as she gently bounced the still fussing baby.

Huffing slighty Tim pushed his chair back and went to investigate the misappropriated items and then called "Lucas McKenzie Garret front and center" and then waited patiently as he heard small footsteps navigating the hall and stairs slowly. Avoiding looking at the dining room full of adults Luc skirted the entrance and stood in front of his father who had taken a seat on the seat cushion not concealing the baby's things.

"You want to tell me anything?" Tim asked in a serious but quiet tone.

"No" the child answered his eyes darting between his dad and the hallway from which he'd just immerged.

Tim having worked with Gibbs for years simply raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in the direction of the couch, waiting for an answer.

"What?" Lucas asked indignantly trying not to look at the off kilter sofa arrangement.

Again without words Tim looked to his son and then the sofa, Luc's eyes following the path of his dad's gaze. "Let's try again… Do you want to tell me anything?" Tim was trying very hard not to sound as annoyed as he was feeling.

"No I do not want to tell you anything" Lucas said deliberately answering only the specific question that was asked of him. He wasn't sure if his dad was going to be mad at him for taking the baby's things but he was feeling hurt and left out and so his attitude and negative feelings were driving his answers when in general he was a very easy going and compliant child.

"Why did you hide Sam's things in the couch, why did you touch the baby without a grown up around like we discussed and why are you now giving me this attitude?" Tim asked in quick succession his frustration bubbling to the surface as Luc stood in front of him with a snotty look on his face.

"I took them for a joke … O. K…. geez… try to have a little fun around here and you get the first degree and besides Uncle Tony told me to do it" Luc answered his voice dripping with both sarcasm and contempt.

The boy had barely had the words out of his mouth before Tim quickly turned him to the side and landed a swat on his now available backside. At the kitchen table the sound of a hand meeting the back of head could be heard in unison. The young boy's "ow" was drown out by the "Thank you Boss" that instinctively fell out of Tony's mouth. Gibbs' expression told Tony he needed to go and fix the mess he had created and as the surrogate uncle pushed his chair away from the table a flash of the boy running out the back kitchen door was seen by everyone. Tim was following his fleeing son with the baby's belongings in his hand. Abby took the blanket and signals to put the pacifier in the sink to be rinsed off. Tony stopped Tim at the counter and with a look of contrition said "Sorry probie that was my fault… I'll go fix it". Tim didn't immediately respond as he wasn't sure his old partner was capable of solving this situation without causing more issues but in the end relented and returned to the group at the table knowing that he could more easily discuss everything with his eldest when there was less of an audience.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony walked across to the large wooden fort tucked into the grove of trees at the back of the yard. Gibbs had built the structure a couple of summers ago when he and Lucas had spent a week together. It was quite large but was only a few feet off the ground because of how old Luc was when they built it. It was a simple square building with a slanted roof and a small porch in front of the door. The step up onto the porch was an enormous log stump. Lucas still had to climb up onto to get in.

Tony was pretty sure that he would find the child in his fort, he himself had never had one as a kid but he was sure if he had it would be the place he would go when upset. The door was open just enough the he could see Luc sitting against the opposite wall knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. The boy's forehead was resting on his bent arms. Tony couldn't hear anything but he suspected that the child was crying silently.

"Hey Squirt" he called in as he sat on the log stump and rested his own crossed arms on the porch.

"Go away" Luc yelled out angrily not bothering to raise his head so his words were somewhat muted.

Tony sat quietly for a short time trying to figure out what the 'right' thing to say was. Growing up an only child he didn't have any hands one experience with children. As he sat there he realized that his accumulated understanding of children came mainly from dealing with Lucas and since they hadn't been in this sort of situation before he had nothing to draw on. Finally he took a deep breath and said "Look Lucas.. I'm sorry that I told you to do that…. it …was…ah… it was wrong of me… I should've known better."

Luc lifted his head slowly and just enough that one eye could look at his uncle's face. He looked genuinely upset by his actions and his apology seemed to be legitimate and not just a smoke screen. Dropping his head back down he answered "K".

"Seriously Luc… I am sorry" tony tried again he was actually feeling guilty for causing the kid to get into trouble and upsetting him. "You know… you're very lucky" Tony continued when there wasn't another response.

The boy's head shot up and the look of astonishment was easily read on his face. "Lucky. HA!" he threw out at his uncle who seemed to have lost his mind.

"Ya… lucky… when I grew up I didn't have a brother or a sister … I was all alone… You get to have someone to play with, someone who is going to look up to you like you are the best, someone who will help you pull pranks" with that Tony waited and smiled when the child's expression turned from a hardened scowl to one that was questioning.

"Ya think that is true.. you don't have a sibling… how do you know?" Luc was skeptical but it sounded pretty good.

"I didn't have a brother but I had friends who did and I saw what happened" Tony answered truthfully but trying not to give away the fact that as a teen he and his buddies often had difficulty getting rid of the younger siblings when they wanted to go or do something without an audience.

Lucas let his head fall back into his arms and sighed loudly. "I don't believe you" he stated.

"It's not going to be right away. Sam has to grow a bit. But the baby stage doesn't last that long and he will be walking and talking and then he'll want to follow you around and be your buddy." Tony was trying really hard he hadn't understood how hard parenting was until this very moment when he had to clean up a mess he helped to create and his heart was aching for his little nephew who was obviously having conflicting emotions raging in his head and no way of figuring things out.

"You think Sam will want to play in the fort?" Lucas asked his tone more relaxed.

"For sure" Tony took this opportunity to hop up into the fort and sit beside the boy, he wrapped his arm around the small frame and pulled the kid towards him. "Sam is going to LOVE this fort…. Man, I love this fort and I'm a grown up… what kid doesn't like a fort?" Lucas looked up into Tony's now smiling face and returned a small grin wiping away the half dried tears from his face.

"We still have a bit of a problem to solve though" Tony said a little serious.

Lucas' eyes got large and his body tensed slightly "What problem?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well we did something we shouldn't have and neither of us apologized to Sam and we don't want him not to feel welcome do we" Tony asked squeezing his nephew to his side and smiling at him.

"I guess not" Luc answered looking down at his hands that he was now wringing.

Tony made to get up but the lack of movement from his little charge had him leaning back against the wall. "What's up?"

"I don't think I want to go back in yet" Lucas said quietly looking at his lap and then his uncle twisting his lips side to side.

"Any particular reason?" Tony asked casually not sure he could handle anymore of this 'heart to heart' sort of talk.

Lucas sat quietly for some time and Tony just watched as the kid started to talk several times and then stopped before finally he blurted out "I wasn't nice to daddy and he spanked me and I think he is still mad at me and won't ever love me again."

If Tony questioned before that he was done with this little chat he was sure of it now. Hiding behind jokes and laughs wasn't going to get this kid back in the house and even if it did he wouldn't understand what had happened and why. Geez he thought to himself kids are not as easy as one might think.

"Ok… let's get a couple of things straight here squirt… first of all your dad is not mad at you anymore… he was going to come out here to talk to you but I asked if I could because I had to tell you I was sorry…" "Really?" his skepticism evident. "Really.. and second of all dads understand when you screw up… they kind of expect it really … and they love you any way and always…"  
>"Really" the child asked again.<p>

"Really and lastly that was NOT a spanking kid… that was a swat… there's a big difference" his last statement he said laughing and poking at Luc's shoulder.

"Was too" Luc declared adamantly. "Was Not" Tony slung back. "Was too" "Was not" and the conversation continued as such until both were in fits of laughter and giggles and Tony easily lifted the wriggling being into his lap to tickly mercilessly. While Tony held him, Luc laid his head on his shoulder and looked up into his face from below "If it wasn't a spankin' what is?" Lucas asked still teasing his uncle. "Well let me tell you a story…" Tony continued to regale the young boy with his Halloween costume fiasco including the not so comfortable ending. Just as he was wrapping up his very descriptive and only somewhat exaggerated tale someone could be heard calling from the back veranda "Desserts ready! Who wants some?" before the door closed again.

Tony crawled out of the fort and turned back to the kid who hadn't yet moved "You comin'?" he asked incredulously, no one turned down Ziva's desserts unless they were mentally unstable.

Standing and walking slowly to the door Lucas inquired "You sure dad is .." Tony didn't let me even finish his sentence as he said "He loves you, he forgives you and he is going to eat all the dessert if we don't get a move on."

Tony turned to head towards the house and before he got too far he felt a little hand in his own.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony was about to head to the counter where dessert was laid out for the picking but Lucas had other plans. He pulled his uncle towards the living room and the once again sleeping infant. Abby made to join them but Tim gently pulled her back into her chair.

Looking down into the bassinet Lucas stared at Sam. He was small but mostly because he was newborn and not because he was actually tiny. He had a round face and chubby little hands that were curled around the edge of the blanket reflexively. Lucas had to admit his brother 'was' kind of cute.

"Sorry Sam" Lucas said as he pulled himself in over the side of the bassinet and tried to kiss his brother. It was Tony's quick response to lift the older brother that kept the bassinet from turning over. Lucas looked up expectantly towards his uncle who stood for several seconds questioning what it was he was supposed to be doing. With an annoyed looked and tone Lucas informed Tony "You are supposed to say you're sorry too remember?"

"Right… ah sorry Sam" feeling sort of uncomfortable Tony tried to turn but was stopped again by a little hand. "You didn't kiss him… that makes it all better" Lucas stated angrily.

"Oh… OK.." Tony leaned over and gently kissed the velvety smooth forehead. He'd been so nervous around Lucas when he was born that he hadn't ever felt a newborns skin before.

"That's better" Lucas said now dragging Tony towards the counter of sweets. He didn't have to be told twice to pick something for dessert.

Only Tony felt the slight unease that was initially hanging over the table. But as everyone ate the wonderful treats the tension lifted and people started talking freely. Before the table was cleared Gibbs nodded towards the little boy and then looked expectantly at Tony. Who answered with words although that wasn't completely necessary "I think I fixed it". The nod and half turned up side of his lips was all the acknowledgment that Gibbs gave but Tony understood that he too had been forgiven and all was well again.

oXoXoXoXoNCISoXoXoXoXo

The extended family left as soon as the table was cleared and all the dishes were washed up and put back where they belonged. Abby had taken Lucas up for a bath before the last of the guests left and she was sitting on a short stool beside the tub as he splashed around and poured water from one vessel to another.

Abby had been weighing the options of talking about the new baby and just letting it go seeing as Tony had said he'd "dealt with it" when Lucas without looking up from his toys said "Even though you have Sam you still love me too … right?" Quickly getting off the stool and kneeling beside the tub Abby answered "Of course I do… oh my gosh… Lucas I love you very much… I love you more than anything… you are my little bear… Sam is now part of our family and I love him too… but loving him or loving you doesn't mean I can' love the other one… I will always and forever love you".

"Ok… than… I just wondered" he said pushing a small toy boat through the water. Abby waited kneeling for a few more moments before returning to her post on the stool, satisfied that Luc didn't need her immediate presence. Giving him a two minute warning she explained that she would be washing him and his hair before it was time to get out and go to bed. She sat watching him play every few seconds taking a sideways glance at her. Just before she was about to declare wash time Luc asked "Is daddy still mad at me?"

Grabbing the soap and wash cloth Abby began to scrub up her eldest child as she answered "No daddy isn't angry with you anymore." She washed and rinsed his body before continuing "Daddy isn't angry but I want to you remember that how you behaved was completely unacceptable, you don't speak to anyone that way even if you are upset about something. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mommy" and then the little boy's brow furrowed "are you mad at me mommy?" Until she had spoken to him about his previous behavior it hadn't occurred to him that she might be angry with him too.

"Not anymore bear, not anymore" Abby said rinsing his now lathered head. Having rinsed out all the soap Abby drained the tub, wrapped the small child in a large towel and lifted him out onto the mat. Lucas was a very independent kid and would not generally allow this much "babying" but Abby figured he was up for any attention at the moment and expected that soon enough he would be back to his usual self.

Having laid out his pj's on his bed before bath time Abby deposited her son onto his bed with a bit of a throw and he giggled as he landed on the soft mattress. He got dressed as she looked through his bookcase for a good story to read. Cuddling up against the headboard Abby was about to start reading when Lucas sat straight up and said "Sam's going to miss story time… wait". He skooched across the bed and ran out the door. Moments later he returned with Tim following him carrying the baby. Lucas sat back into his cuddling position and then patted his lap. Tim unsure of what his son expected stood at the door. Patting again on his lap Lucas declared "Daddy put Sam right here so he can see the story".

Abby gave her surprised look with full eyebrows raised and mouth drawn in as Tim gently set the baby in his brother's lap. Both parents' heart leapt with joy when Lucas leaned down into the baby's face and said "Sam we read stories before bedtime can you see the pictures". When the baby stirred more out of discomfort of having a face so close to his, the older brother interpreted that his sibling was unable to see well and shifted the baby up so he was in a more sitting position.

Bedtime stories that night had many interruptions as Lucas described the pictures and what his favourite part was to Sam. For his part the infant sat silently looking more at the little face above him than the book in which he was supposed to be paying attention to.


End file.
